Emergency crisis service for students and young adults to now serve all Ohio counties

11/18/2025

No-cost youth mobile crisis service expands reach

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine this month announced that immediate in-person help for youth experiencing a behavioral health crisis is now available statewide in all 88 counties. Prior to this expansion, the Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) program was only available in 56 Ohio counties. MRSS is available at no cost for children and young adults age 20 and under who are experiencing mental, emotional, or behavioral distress.

Parents, educators, medical professionals, law enforcement officers, peers, and young people in crisis can call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and request MRSS. Within 60 minutes of initial contact, a team of trained professionals, including a licensed clinician, will respond wherever the youth is located, whether at home, school, or any other safe place in the community.

In April, Governor DeWine announced the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (formerly Mental Health and Addiction Services), and the Ohio Department of Medicaid worked together to develop a regional framework for expanding the MRSS program.

Between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, there were 10,249 calls to MRSS. Of those, suicidality (41%) was the primary reason for referral with family conflict/stress (27%) the second highest reason for referral.

Of the youth who received the ongoing stabilization services:

• 99.7% had no new admissions to a residential treatment center
• 99.1% had no new admissions to a crisis stabilization unit
• 99% had no new admissions to a jail/detention center
• 98.2% had no caregiver/school calls to police to address behaviors

MRSS also serves as an entry point into OhioRISE. After a young person receives immediate crisis intervention, they are also assessed within 72 hours for additional behavioral supports through OhioRISE’s comprehensive care coordination and long-term services. This approach reduces the burden on law enforcement, criminal justice, and hospital emergency departments.

Currently, mobile response is available to youth between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, while tele-response will be available after hours with a follow-up in-person visit the next day. All regional providers are expected to offer mobile response 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by April 2028.

To learn more, visit mrss.ohio.gov.